Absorber for use in hair treatments

ABSTRACT

A reusable absorber capable of absorbing perm chemicals and configured to enable at least a portion of the absorber to remain in place at an individual&#39;s hairline during a perm treatment. The absorber includes a cord, features for securing first and second ends of the cord together, and a lateral having at least one of two ends attached to the cord at a location in proximity to one end of the cord. The cord comprises an absorbent material that is resistant to chemical attack by perm chemicals and is capable of absorbing the perm chemicals.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/499,426, filed Jun. 21, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to hair styling products. More particularly, this invention relates to an absorber adapted to be worn by an individual during the application of hair styling chemicals to the individual's hair for the purpose of preventing runoff of the chemicals onto the individual's face and body.

A permanent wave, or simply a “perm,” is a well-known hair treatment to create waves or curls in an individual's hair. A perm treatment involves the application of a chemical solution to the hair, for example, an alkaline chemical such as ammonium thioglycolate or an acidic chemical such as glycerol monothioglycolate, which will be referred to hereinafter simply as perm chemicals. During the application of a perm chemical to an individual's hair, it is desirable to minimize contact with the skin due to the harsh nature of the chemicals. For this purpose, one known practice is to wrap a cotton coil or the like around an individual's head along the hairline to absorb any runoff or drips that might otherwise come into contact with the individual's skin below the hairline. Though generally effective, a cotton coil can quickly become saturated, necessitating frequent replacement during a perm treatment. The coil may also have the tendency to slide downward from the hairline, necessitating frequent repositioning and/or replacement of the coil. Another disadvantage of cotton coils is that they are not reusable, and are therefore typically thrown away after a single use.

Accordingly, there is a need for an absorbent product that is capable of absorbing perm chemicals and remaining in place at an individual's hairline during application of the chemicals to the hair. It would also be desirable if such a product could be reused and, in doing so, be more ecologically and environmentally “friendly” than cotton coils.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a reusable absorber that is capable of absorbing perm chemicals and is configured to enable at least a portion of the absorber to remain in place at an individual's hairline during a perm treatment.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the absorber includes a cord having first and second ends, features for securing the first and second ends of the cord together, and a lateral having first and second ends of which at least one of the first and second ends is attached to the cord at a location that is closer in proximity to the first end of the cord than to the second end of the cord. The cord comprises an absorbent material that is resistant to chemical attack by perm chemicals and is capable of absorbing the perm chemicals.

Another aspect of the invention is a process of using an absorber comprising the elements described above. As an example, such a method includes wrapping the cord around the head of an individual so that the cord is located at the hairline of the individual, securing the first and second ends of the cord together, and routing the lateral on the crown of the individual's head so as to anchor the cord to the head and inhibit the cord from slipping from the hairline of the individual.

A technical effect of the invention is that the absorber is absorbent to perm chemicals and is configured to have securement features that enable the absorber to remain in place at an individual's hairline during a perm treatment. As a result, the absorber does not require frequent repositioning or replacement during a perm treatment. In preferred embodiments, the absorbent material comprises a bamboo material that enables the absorber to be washed and reused numerous times, while also being biodegradable and as such is more environmentally friendly than existing cotton coils.

Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically represents an absorber adapted for absorbing chemicals during a perm treatment in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of an absorber in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are photographs showing the absorber of FIG. 2 positioned on an individual's head and at the individual's hairline.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict absorbers 10 that represent different embodiments of the present invention. Each absorber 10 is adapted to be worn along the hairline of an individual. Furthermore, each absorber 10 is particularly adapted to absorb chemicals used during a perm treatment to absorb any runoff or drips that might otherwise come into contact with the individual's skin below the hairline. For convenience, consistent reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to identify the same or functionally equivalent elements of the absorbers 10.

Each absorber 10 is constructed to include a cord 12 that comprises an absorbent flexible material that is capable of absorbing perm chemicals (including alkaline and acidic perm chemicals) while also being resistant to chemical attack by such chemicals to permit repeated use of the cord 12. A preferred material is believed to be bamboo batting, generally characterized by nonwoven discontinuous bamboo fibers, though it is foreseeable that the bamboo fibers could be combined with fibers of another fibrous material. Bamboo is a particularly preferred material for the cord 12 in that bamboo materials are highly absorbent, reusable, and biodegradable. As represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cord 12 may have a core 14 formed of bamboo batting, which is then wrapped, sleeved or otherwise enclosed within an outer cover 16 formed of a suitable flexible material. A wide variety of materials can be used for the cover 16, including various textiles, including fabrics, clothes and weaves. The core 14 and cover 16 of the cord 12 may be assembled to permit removal of the core 14 from the cover 16, after which the core 14 can be replaced (if necessary) with a new core 14 or can be washing and reinstalled in the cover 16. This approach also permits separate washing and, if necessary, replacement of the cover 16. Alternatively, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is foreseeable that the cover 16 can be partially or entirely omitted.

Each absorber 10 is also equipped with a lateral 18 that is attached to and extends from the cord 12. The lateral 18 may be formed similarly to the cord 12, in other words, to have a bamboo core 14 within an outer cover 16. However, the lateral 18 may be simply formed of the same or similar material used to form the cover 16 of the cord 12. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the lateral 18 is an elongate strip with only one end 26 attached to the cord 12 and an unattached opposite end 28 so that the absorber 10 is roughly T-shaped, with the lateral 18 forming the lower leg of the T and the cord 12 forming the upper cross-member of the T. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the lateral 18 is represented as a loop with each end 26 and 28 attached to the cord 12. The laterals 18 can be permanently or releasably attached to their respective cords 12, though it is believed that a permanent attachment may be preferable, which as used herein refers to methods of attaching the lateral 18 to the cord 12 that do not permit the lateral 18 to be detached by simply pulling on the lateral without damage to the lateral 18 or cord 12. In addition, the end 26 or ends 26 and 28 of the laterals 18 is/are preferably attached to its respective cord 12 in proximity to one of two ends 20 and 22 of the cord 12. In FIG. 1, the end 26 of the lateral 18 is attached to the cord 12 at a location that is closer in proximity to the end 20 of the cord 12 than to the other end 22 of the cord 12, whereas in FIG. 2 both ends 26 and 28 of the lateral 18 are attached to the cord 12 at one end 20 or 22 of the cord 12.

The cord 12 is adapted to be wrapped around an individual's head, preferably along the entire extent of the individual's hairline. As represented in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cord 12 may be wrapped around the nape 32 of the individual's neck such that the two ends 20 and 22 of the cord 12 overlap each other at the individual's forehead 30, where the ends 20 and 22 of the cord 12 are preferably secured to each other. As an example, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the absorbers 10 as equipped with complementary hook-and-loop fasteners 24, for example, VELCRO®, by which the ends 20 and 22 of the cord 12 can be adjustably and releasably joined together, though the use of other types of complementary fastening elements, for example, snaps, etc., is also within the scope of the invention. Once the cord 12 is in position, the lateral 18 is used to wrap the hair at or near the crown (top) of the individual's head in a manner capable of preventing slippage of the cord 12. As evident from FIG. 3, rods 34 around which the hair is wrapped in preparation for a perm treatment can provide a suitable anchor about which the lateral 18 can be routed on the crown of the individual's head to prevent the cord 12 of the absorber 10 from slipping downward from the hairline. As further evident from FIG. 3, because the end 26 or the ends 26 and 28 of the laterals 18 is/are attached in proximity to one end 20 of its respective cord 12, the lateral 18 can be routed to define a loop that extends rearward from the individual's forehead 30. This rearward looping configuration can be achieved regardless of whether the lateral 18 is attached to the cord 12 at both of its ends 26 and 28 (as represented in FIG. 3) or only at one of its ends 26, in which case the free end 28 may still be located near the forehead but remain unattached to the cord 12.

In view of the above, it can be seen that a significant advantage of the invention is the use of a highly absorbent cord 12 that can be inhibited from slipping during use, and therefore does not require frequent repositioning during use. In addition, the bamboo material of the cord core 14 can be washed and reused numerous times, while also being biodegradable, such that the absorber 10 is being environmentally friendly.

While the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the absorbers 10 could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments shown, the functions of their components could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and appropriate materials could be substituted for those noted. Furthermore, while the Figures depict the absorbers 10 and their components in proportions found suitable for use, the particular represented embodiments are not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims. 

1. An absorber adapted to be worn on along the hairline on the head of an individual, the absorber comprising: a cord having first and second ends and comprising an absorbent material that is resistant to chemical attack by perm chemicals and capable of absorbing the perm chemicals; means for securing the first and second ends of the cord together; and a lateral having first and second ends, at least one of the first and second ends of the lateral being attached to the cord at a location that is closer in proximity to the first end of the cord than to the second end of the cord.
 2. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein the cord comprises a core material within a flexible cover.
 3. The absorber according to claim 2, wherein the core material is bamboo batting and the bamboo matting is contained within the cover.
 4. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein the cord comprises bamboo matting.
 5. The absorber according to claim 4, wherein the cord lacks any cover in which the bamboo matting is contained.
 6. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein the lateral comprises a core material within a flexible cover.
 7. The absorber according to claim 6, wherein the core material is bamboo batting and the bamboo matting is contained within the cover.
 8. The absorber according to claim 6, wherein the lateral comprises bamboo matting.
 9. The absorber according to claim 8, wherein the lateral lacks any cover in which the bamboo matting is contained.
 10. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein the securing means comprises complementary fastening elements disposed at each of the first and second ends of the cord.
 11. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein only the first end of the lateral is attached to the cord.
 12. The absorber according to claim 11, wherein the first end of the lateral is permanently attached to the cord.
 13. The absorber according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second ends of the lateral is attached to the cord.
 14. The absorber according to claim 13, wherein each of the first and second ends of the lateral is attached to the cord at the first end of the cord.
 15. The absorber according to claim 13, wherein each of the first and second ends of the lateral is permanently attached to the cord.
 16. A method of using the absorber of claim 1, the method comprising: wrapping the cord around the head of an individual so that the cord is located at the hairline of the individual; securing the first and second ends of the cord together with the securing means; and routing the lateral on the crown of the head so as to anchor the cord to the head and inhibit the cord from slipping from the hairline of the individual.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising wrapping hair at the crown of the individual's head around a rod, wherein the routing step comprises routing the lateral around the rod to prevent the cord from slipping downward from the hairline.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the lateral is routed to define a loop that extends rearwardly from the forehead of the individual.
 19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cord comprises bamboo matting.
 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising: applying a perm chemical to the hair of the individual while the cord is located at the hairline of the individual; and absorbing portions of the perm chemical with the absorbent material of the cord. 